I was born in 2002, so I am considered to be a part of Generation Z. With that in mind, I consider myself to have always been watched. I grew up in the age of technology. I’m the type of person that believes that the government tracks us with our social security numbers, our credit cards, our phones, and every other electronic device we use that connects to the internet. But honestly, in my personal opinion, I don’t care that we are tracked. It is a result of living with such technological advances. So, in terms of “what I’m willing to give up”, I feel that I never even had a choice to give my privacy up. It was taken away as a result of being born at this time. However, if I need to give up my right to my location in order to be able to constantly track where my family is using the same software, I’ll give it up.
I’m willing to give up some of my privacy in exchange for protection, convenience, and access to services. The government provides us with specific amenities that are accessible in less technologically developed countries. Also, for access to certain information, we have to give websites permission or accept all necessary “cookies”, simply in order to continue browsing the information available on that site. We give away our privacy in exchange for the military protecting us. Using cellphones, and in tv shows, law enforcement uses cell towers to pinpoint the locations of dangerous individuals.
Don’t get me wrong, there are negative impacts to surrendering privacy such as targeted advertising, data mining, or surveillance. Even Apple company constantly asks its users for permission to use their data for further research. This can lead to various forms of discrimination, exploitation, and abuse. However, I believe that the benefits outweigh the costs.
